Following the accident the death toll rose to 17 and the number of injured to 43.

Before this accident the last major rail crash in Britain had occurred on 15 August 1953 in Manchester when 10 people were killed and 60 injured.

In December 1955 there were two more rail crashes. The first at Barnes on 2 December in which 13 were killed and 35 injured. The second on 22 December at Luton during which one was killed and 50 injured.

Also in 1955, the government announced a multi-million pound modernisation plan for the railways.

The plans included a £210m programme to improve track and signalling to enable higher speeds and a £345m scheme to electrify a large proportion of railway and introduce electric and diesel locomotives.